Saturday, June 6, 2015

Saturday Spotlight Series #22: Graduation Milestones

My Saturday Spotlight Seriesshines today on graduation. This milestone weaves in and out of our lives in so many different ways.

My parents got married just three days after my dad graduated from college. He was taking a challenging course load, and one of those classes was a prerequisite to earning his degree. He had informed my mother that if he did not pass his final exams the wedding would be off, because he would need to take another semester of classes and would not have a job. I'm sure he felt fairly confident he would be fine - but imagine how stressful that must have been! (All went well, and they have been married 57 years this summer!)I attended an American High School in Spain; the dress code for our graduation ceremony was formal attire, not caps and gowns. My mom sewed the dresses my twin sister and I wore from the same pattern, but in a different color of fabric for each of us. We hadn't dressed alike since we were quite small, and we haven't intentionally done so since! For that occasion however, wearing the same dresses seemed a sort of final nod to all the experiences we had shared, before we parted ways and went off to universities in different parts of the United States.

My college graduation ceremony (when I received my diploma) was somewhat upstaged by the "pinning" ceremony for my nursing class that same weekend. It was a very beautiful ceremony, with lots of sentiment. After four years of classes and clinical experiences, we were all so excited to receive our nursing pins and finally become a full-fledged nurses!Time passed. Graduations of friends and family were many, then seemed to taper off - replaced by weddings and baby showers! Before I knew it, my husband and I were celebrating our children's accomplishments. A low-key recognition of kindergarten completion was called a "graduation". A more elaborate celebration (with a party afterwards) marked their transitions from middle school to high school. My daughter has graduated from high school, and my son will do so also in just a year.

Saturday Spotlight Series #22

Graduation announcements from friends and family have been rolling in all month. As I've been writing congratulatory cards, I have taken a moment to reflect upon my memory of each student. Some we have know since they were quite small. My wish for all of them is a bright and happy future.

Congratulations to all of the graduates of 2015!

How many graduations have been milestones in your life?

Are you celebrating a graduate this year?

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12 comments
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Whoa. Your mother is very talented. Beautiful dresses! I could no more do that than fly to the moon. Have I told you about the time my grandmother asked me to sew the two ends of a strip of elastic together? It would form a garter than she'd finish later. After eyeballing my somewhat less than tidy stitches she patted my knee and said "you have other talents ..."Graduation for us happens again next year when my daughter graduates from college. I can't believe it. Surely it was just last week that I heard her squeal "they want me! I'm accepted!"

My mom is talented Kelly - in many ways! I love your story about your grandmother - and she is right ... we all have different talents! I know what you mean, my daughter's college years are going by very quickly as well!

We didn't pay much attention to graduation ceremonies. When I got my degree yes, but other schooling no. Mind you, all of us graduate from other things as we move through life. I need to remember that...

When I was supposed to be receiving my diploma for my Master's Degree I was on the back side of our garage roof shingling! I always thought that was pretty funny. We have so many graduations. We have 18 nieces and nephews and many great nieces and nephews. We have been blasted with announcements over the years. I always try to make a special card using their school colors, the year of graduation, etc. And...they always get some money! Do you still have your graduation dress? I made our daughter's wedding dress ... train and all. Never again!!!!

Your way of celebrating graduation sounds just like you, Lynn! As do your creative cards. I do still have my grad dress - in a box. Why, I'm not sure, except that it is very hard to part with! Perhaps your daughter will have a daughter who wears the wedding dress you made ... I wore my mom's. How special that would be!

I was looking at the pictures! I could spot you out easily in the one with your sister! Your mother made some beautiful dresses! In the one with your children, I couldn't get over how much your daughter looks like you and your son looks just like your husband. I have no graduations this year and hopefully no babies this year either haha!

LOVE the picture of you and your sister - what lovely dresses! We've had many "friend" graduations this year, and of course next year T will graduate from high school and C from his college program, both in the same month. Always a happy/sad time!

I blubber like a baby every time I hear Pomp and Circumstance. A baby. Every time. Graduations are such important times. A line drawn across as a closure. Another line drawn as a beginning. A pinnacle point. Love them. But I cry.